SMASHING THROUGH AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 October 1918, Page 5

SMASHING THROUGH

AUSTRIAN AFFAIRS.

Advances by British and French. Many Thousands of Prisoners Taken. BARTERING TOR PEACE. Ludendorff May he Courtmartialled. Aleppo Taken by British.

WESTERN FRONT.

HERMANN LINE WON. LONDON, October 27. Reuter’s correspondent at French headquarters states that General Dcbeny’s Army, after three days’ and nights’ uninterrupted fighting, dislodged the enemy from the Hermann lino, pursuing him to the next line a few miles northwards. There has never been harder fighting than that in which the French, British, and Belgian armies are now engaged. It was the advance of the British and Belgians in the north that caused General Foch to order the attack cast of the Oise. General Potain has since engaged three fresh armies successfully. The battle to-day extended from the Dutch frontier to the Aisne. The Germans know what is at stake, and arc fighting as they did in 1914. Their machine-gunners covering the infantry in retreat to-day died at their posts rather than surrender.

IMPORTANT FRENCH ADVANCE ON THE AISNE.

Received 8.50 a.m. NEW YORK, October 28. The French have forced the Germans to abandon the Oisc-Aisne line. . American guns are firing On Longuyon.

REPORTED EVACUATION GHENT.

Received 10.50 a.m. AMSTERDAM, Oct. 28. Unconfirmed reports from the frontier state that the Germans have evacuated Ghent. GERMANS INVASION OF CHANNEL PORTS. WHAT THE RETREAT DISCLOSED Rceivcd 10.40 a.m. NEW YORK, October 28 Mr Grigg. the New York World’s correspondent on the British front, says the colossal nature of the preparations the Germans made on the west Flanders front for an intended base for operations last summer against the Channel ports held by the Allies, can now be estimated. Since the enemy

has withdrawn. The Germans had stored fifteen hundred tons of ammunition and many thousands of tons of supplies in one corps area of the Lys salient. Those munitions, valued at many million of dollars, were destroyed when the Germans were compelled to retreat. The enemy also constructed 108 miles of light railways in the Lys salient at a cost of more than a million dollars, made 180 miles of new road bods, They erected eighteen new aerodromes, seventeen new landing grounds, and established seventy new hospital units.

GERMAN DEFENCES SMASHED. BEGINNING OF A GREAT VICTORY Received .10 a.m. LONDON, Oct 28. Mr. Perris, writing from Frencn headquarters, says Debeny, Mangin, and Guillemot decisively defeated considerable German effectives, and gamed the German position, covered by the Aisne and the Serre. Mangin has broken the northern end of the marshes, capturing from Vesles to Gaumont and Pierrepont, while the Fifth Army attacked twelve miles of the Hunding Line and has broken it to a depth of three miles, capturing St. Quentin Le Petite despite five succesive wire fields, five ranges of trenches, with machine gun posts, and anti-tanks, and minefields. The whole German defences in the northern Champagne are endangered. Over five thousand prisoners were taken, though this is but the beginning or a great victory.

DEMOBILISATION PUBLICLY

ANNOUNCED,

VICTORIOUS FRENCH ADVANCE 37,000 PRISONERS TAKEN. Received 9.30 a.m. LONDON, October 28. At 3.15 this morning, a French communique states. The enemy, pursued by our advance guards, commenced his retreat between the Aisnc and the Serre on a front exceeding twenty-five kilometres. Our advance to-day exceeded eight kilometres at certain points. We carried Boheries. Proix, and Mazuigny, and pushed on to the outskirits of Tuise. Further south we approached the Guise-Marie Road on a general lino from Bcrtaignemont Wood, Landifay, Bertuingemont west, Fancouzey, Monceauleneuf, Montigney, and Surcrecy. Wo captured numerous prisoners and considerable material. The prisoners captured by the First Army, since October 24th, number 37,000. The booty for the .same period includes twenty guns, and several hundred machine-guns. The Tenth Army, co-operating with the First on Serre front, is vigorously persuing the enemy, Northwards, we occupied Crecy-sur-Seno. Fighting during the .last two days has obliged the enemy to abandon part of the Hunding position between Herpy and Recouvrance. We are following on the heels of the enemy Sir Douglas Haig reports: A determined counter-attack was made on October 27th, on Famarsy' but was repulsed afted severe fighting, in which many of the enemy were killed We slightly improved our positions on the Borders of the Mormal Forest and northward of Raismes Forest.

THE UNHAPPY DUAL MONARCHY BERNE, October 27. The revolutionary movement is spreading throughout Croatia. Segna, Ogulin and Dclnice are in revolutionary hands. Three hundred were killed at Zaganria and 400 at Fiuine. Reports from Vienna assort that the movement is asuming Bolshevik characteristics, the hunt after Magyars claiming many victims.

Karolyi failed to form a coalition Cabinet, owing to the Sorbs and Roumanian resistance.

The dissolution of Hungary is regarded as inevitable. The Neuefrie Presse says Count Andrassy’s policy is to explore every possibility of peace by direct approaches toward the Allies.

The Magyar National Council at Buda Pesth proclaimed its supremacy to the existing authorities. This is regarded as a pirelude to the break-up of the Dual Monarchy. The Magyar National Council has proclaimed Karolyi its president. Hungarian youths are arming, and organising for military purposes. Crowds are parading Buda Pesth, demanding the denunciation of the German alliance. The National Council has issued a manifesto recognising the Polish, South Slav, Czccho, and Germano-Austrian States; demanding immediate peace, the retirement of Hungarian troops to Hungary, also the annulment of the B'rest-Litovsk' and Bucharest treaties.

LONDON, October 28.

Telegrams from Vienna state that it has been publicly announced that preparations are being made for the demobilisation of the Austro-Hungarian army. This statement is necessary owing to the pressure of public opinion. The people are eagerly demanding peace. BERNE, October 28. The news of the break-up of Austria is having a depressing effect in Berlin.'